Houseplant · Davalliaceae
Rabbit's Foot Fern
Davallia fejeensis
Soft, furred rhizomes that creep like animal paws, topped with finely cut, lacy fronds.
Bright indirect
Every 5–10 days
55–75°F · 13–24°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
Run a finger along the rabbit's foot fern and the surprise is those rhizomes: thick, soft, and coated in fine hairs that give them the look of small animal feet. They creep across the top of the pot and hook over its rim, furred stems inching outward in plain view. Soft, furry, and creeping, the rhizomes are the plant's signature, and up close the resemblance is uncanny.
From those furred stems rise the fronds, thin and wiry at the base and splitting into many small, finely cut segments toward the tip. Held together they form a loose, lacy mound, light enough that the whole plant looks airy rather than dense. Each frond is finely divided into delicate segments, so light passes through the foliage instead of stopping at it. The overall shape is low and wide, a spreading tuft rather than an upright clump.
The contrast is what holds the eye: plush, furred rhizomes below and gauzy, cut foliage above. As the rhizomes lengthen they carry that soft fur out over the pot's edge and into the open air. New fronds unfurl small and tightly coiled, then open into the same fine lacework as the rest. Nothing about it is stiff or coarse; the texture stays soft from the paws to the frond tips.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, an evenly moist mix that never dries out completely, humid air around 50% to 70%, and the furred rhizomes left resting in full view on top of the soil.
Light
Give it bright, indirect light near a window that never takes a hard midday beam. It holds on in partial shade or medium light, but the fronds grow fullest and finest where the light is bright and filtered. Direct sun scorches the thin, cut foliage, browning the delicate segments.
Water
Keep the mix evenly moist but never soggy, watering about every 5 to 10 days once the top half-inch has dried. Ease back from fall through late winter as growth slows. The furred rhizomes, sitting exposed on the surface, rot if they stay wet, so the mix must drain freely.
Soil
Root it in a peat-based mix rich in organic matter that drains freely, at a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5. A loose, open blend lets water slip past the fine roots and the furred rhizomes rather than pooling around them.
Temperature
Ordinary room warmth keeps the fronds firm and fresh, within 55°F to 75°F (13°C to 24°C). Cold drafts and the dry blast of a vent both stress the thin, cut foliage.
Humidity
Moist air is what keeps the fine segments from crisping. Aim for 50% to 70% humidity, higher than most rooms, with a pebble tray, a humidifier, or a huddle of plants. When the air dries, the slender frond tips brown and curl first.
Feeding
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength to keep fresh, tightly coiled fronds unrolling. Stop feeding in fall and winter while the plant rests.
Pruning
No hard pruning shapes this one. Snip away dead, browned, or damaged fronds at the base, close to the furred rhizome, to keep the fine texture clean and open room for new growth.
Repotting
Repot only every 2 to 3 years, once the furred rhizomes crowd the surface or the mix dries out fast. Move up a single pot size, and lay the rhizomes back on top, in full view, rather than tucking them under the soil.
Size & spacing
The mound reaches about 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) tall and fans wider, from 1 to 4 feet (30 to 120 cm), as the furred rhizomes creep outward. That low, spreading form looks best given a wide surface or a hanging spot where the paws dangle.
Troubleshooting
The plant wears its health on its surfaces. Frond tips that dry to a crisp, brittle brown tell one story; furred paws that darken and go soft to the touch tell another. Look closely at which tissue has changed and the cause becomes clear.
Furred rhizomes darkening and going soft
When the plush paws lose their firm, hairy feel and turn dark, soft, and slick, the rhizome is rotting. This is rhizome rot, from paws left buried or from a mix that stays soggy and poorly drained. Lift the rhizomes back into the open, cut away the softened, discolored sections, sharpen the drainage, and let the mix dry to the right level before watering again.
Fix:
- Uncover the rhizomes and rest them on the mix surface
- Let the medium dry to the recommended level
- Improve drainage and remove any rotted rhizome sections
Sticky sheen and hard little bumps on the fronds
A sticky film over the foliage, a fine pale stippling, or small hard bumps clinging to the segments mean pests are feeding, most often scale insects, sometimes spider mites or mealybugs. Look along the fronds and rhizomes for raised brown scales, faint silken webbing, or white cottony tufts. Wipe the pests off, set the plant apart from the others, and treat with a fern-safe horticultural soap or oil until the fronds come clean.
Fix:
- Wipe off pests and isolate the plant
- Treat with horticultural soap or oil suited to ferns
- Repeat treatments until clear
Frond tips drying to brittle brown
Browning that grips the very tips and edges of the fine segments while the rhizomes stay firm and furred is dry air or thirst, not rot. The thin, cut foliage loses moisture at its margins first and crisps there. Raise the humidity with a pebble tray or humidifier, keep the mix evenly moist, and move the plant clear of the drying draft from heating and cooling vents.
Fix:
- Raise ambient humidity with a pebble tray or humidifier
- Keep the mix evenly moist
- Move away from heating/cooling vents
Toxicity
Beyond its looks, this is a non-toxic true fern, listed by the ASPCA as safe for cats, dogs, and horses. Neither the soft rhizomes nor the fine fronds hold anything that will poison a curious nibbler. A pet that eats a large amount of the foliage may get a brief, mild stomach upset, and nothing more.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
The ASPCA lists this soft-furred fern as non-toxic, so a cat that mouths a frond takes no poison. A large helping of the fine foliage may briefly unsettle a sensitive stomach, and nothing worse.
Dogs None
A dog is safe alongside it, fronds and furred paws included. One that chews down a lot of the lacy foliage might drool or bring it back up, but it will not be poisoned.
Horses None
Horses are untouched by anything in this fern, and it carries no warning for them.
Rabbits Safe
A rabbit can nibble a frond without harm, since true ferns of this kind hold nothing toxic.
Livestock Safe
Grazing animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle are safe around it, as it lacks the toxins found in some wild ferns.
Birds Safe
Pet birds are safe near the plant, and a stray peck at a fine frond does no harm.
People Safe
The fern is safe in a home with children and is not grown to be eaten. Wash your hands after handling the soil, as with any houseplant.
No special handling precautions are required; the plant is non-toxic, though the furry surface rhizomes should be left exposed on the mix rather than buried.
Varieties
A couple of named forms turn up, each shifting the texture or the scale of that fine, furred look.
'Plumosa'
A feathery form whose narrow, finely divided segments break the fronds into an even softer, lacier spray.
'Dwarf Ripple'
A compact form that stays near 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) tall, its fine fronds packed into a smaller tuft.
How to propagate
Because the furred rhizomes are the growing, creeping part of the plant, they are also what you use to make more of it.
DivisionModerate
Spring · 4-8 weeks
Division in spring is the surest method, working straight from the furred rhizomes. Cut rhizome tips about 2 to 3 inches long, each carrying one or two fronds, and pin them onto moist mix so the hairy stem stays pressed to the surface; kept warm and humid, they root over about 4 to 8 weeks. Spores are possible but slow and unreliable, so the rhizome route is the one to use.
Myths
The furry rhizomes crawling over the pot are roots and should be buried in the soil.
Those furred paws are surface rhizomes, not roots, and their nature is to creep across the top of the mix and reach over the pot's rim in plain sight. Bury the soft, hairy stems and they rot. Their proper place is on the surface, exposed, where the fur stays dry.